Year 10 Launch

Student performance+

Teacher guidance+

Parental support=

A winning partnership

The vital ‘ingredients’ for GCSE success

Be clear, this is for you and your future

Know the course structure – when are the exams? How much do they count? What coursework/ controlled assessment is there and when?

Use your homework diary; use a wall planner for planning ahead for deadlines

Get organised

Getting off to a good start:Students

Keep on top of homework and assessments; make it your best, make sure you’ve understood it, ask for help

Talk to your parents and agree the ground rules – when and where you will work, for how long, without music/phone/msn etc

Agree regular ‘check-ins’ with your parents to look at where you are and what work you need to complete

Getting off to a good start:Students

Parental support is one of the most crucial factors in GCSE success

You don’t have to be a subject expert, just set the right ground rules; provide support; praise and encourage

Understand the structure of courses, exams, controlled assessments/ coursework – when exams are, deadlines and what needs to be done at home

Getting off to a good start:Parent

Head of Year - Mr ThomasAssistant Head of Year – Miss Franklin

Tutors

Heads of Department

Parents evening

Homework diaries

Getting off to a good start:Parent

Lessons – all lessons all meticulously planned and differentiated to suit the pupilsHomework – parents are now able to view all homework set by teachers using their children's ‘Fronter’ accessIndependent learningRevision lessons and resourcesAlways available for help and support

Getting off to a good start:Teachers

The work must be the student’s own original work. It can refer to research sources…                ….But only if those sources are clearly referenced

Teachers can guide students on what they will be looking for when marking…

…..But not tell them exactly how to do the work.

Parents can provide access to resources and discuss the approach to the project…

…..But not tell them what they should or should not write

Controlled Assessment and coursework rules

www.parentscentre.gov.uk

D f e s s i t e w i t h i n f o r m a t i o n o n h e l p i n g y o u r s o n / d a u g h t e r l e a r n

www.qca.org.uk

G u i d a n c e o n q u a l i fi c a t i o n s .

www.jcq.org.uk

G u i d a n c e o n e x a m , c o n t r o l l e d a s s e s s m e n t a n d c o u r s e w o r k r u l e s

Where to find out more

Fisher Family Trust data And Teacher assessment

Challenging / Achievable / Motivating

First set of grade cards in October

Target setting and reporting

October: Fi rs t round of school target -sett ing

Grade card to parents

February: Second round of school target -set t ing

Grade card to parents

April: Parents even ing

Examinat ions

Th i rd round of school target -sett ing

June: Grade card to parents

END OF YEAR EXAMS

July: Work exper ience week

Key Dates

October: Eng l i sh l i t contro l led assessment

November: Sc ience contro l led assessment

December: Engl i sh Lang contro l led assessment

January: History exam

February: Engl i sh Lang contro l led assessment

June: 2 x Sc ience module exam

July: Engl i sh language contro l led assessment task

Engl i sh speak ing and l i s ten ing ongoing throughout KS4

Key subject dates

Opportunity for your son / daughter to spend time with an employer to find out more about the world of work

Chance to test a career idea out

Helps young people identify future learning, training and work pathways – informs post 16 decision making

Develops young peoples employability and social skills

Puts subjects in context

Can add value to post 16 college / university applications (is a requirement for some higher education courses)

Work experience

To identify career and placement ideas which interest them

Find out about their placement and employer before starting

Keep a daily log of what they learn

Be punctual, polite, interested and enthusiastic

What we expect from our pupils

To learn differences between school and work.

To feel what i t is l ike to work a longer day with fewer breaks.

To work with adults of different ages with differing rank or status.

To see how people get on together at work.

To see the relat ionship between workers and bosses.

We asked pupils what work experience meant to them. Here are a few responses.

To find out what a work p lace i s l i ke . How is i t d ifferent f rom schoo l?

To learn about a par t i cu lar job or indust ry.

To see how an organ isat ion works .

To learn to fit in wi th new people , in new p laces and complet ing new tasks .

To understand best why you are at school and how school sub jects can he lp your career.

We asked pupilsWhat workexperience meant to them.Here are a fewresponses.

Year 11 pupils speak about their experience

Tom ButlerAisling Duggan

Abby Sammons

Work experience week begins on Monday

14th – 18th July 2014

We actively encourage all parents to help their sons/daughters in seeking a suitable placement.

Work experience hints for pupils and parents

“The early bird catches the worm”!Try not to delay finding a placement - other fa ir ly local schools wi l l be chasing placements at the same t ime.

The placement does not have to be local - last year p lacements occurred as far as Scot land, London and Austral ia– (parental responsibi l i ty i f abroad inc luding own insurance.)

Hints and Tips

Certain placements are difficult to find - don’t be discouraged i f the first few approaches are not successful

Try to match placements with interests.

Hints and Tips

Try to avoid the easy way out - l inking up with places that a lready employ students part-t ime, working with re lat ives etc.

As far as is humanly possible - st ick to the a l located week – except ions wi l l only be given in except ional c ircumstances (employers offer a a lternat ive week - as long as i t does not c lash with any examinat ions.

 

Hints and Tips

Al l p lacements also have to be vetted by the ‘Careers Company’ with regard to health and safety and given a c lean bi l l of health otherwise the student wi l l not be al lowed to go to that placement.

I n su ran ce fo rms h ave to b e s i g n ed b y

a l l emp l o yers w e l l i n ad van ce , an d

re tu rn ed to sch o o l .We ask th a t th ese fo rms a re re tu rn ed to

u s b y th e en d o f Jan u ary so th e

n ecessary ch ecks can b e co mp l e ted .

T h ese can b e o b ta i n ed f ro m sch o o l

recep t i o n .

Hints and Tips

Parents are responsible for ensuring students travel to and from the place of work safely - the school has no responsibi l i ty

I f parents so desire, they can pr ivately arrange for an insurance to be taken out for that week to supplement the school insurance for the student.

Each student has to complete a work-exper ience diary which documents the week’s act iv it ies.

Hints and Tips

o Useful placement data can be obtained through last year ’s work experience students, Local knowledge of employers, Local Newspapers and Lists of past placement which can be referred to via Mr Smith, Mr Thomas and Mrs Hubbard (School Secretary).

Good hunting! The week is extremely valuable to the students involved .